COSEARCH: A Parallel Cooperative Metaheuristic

In order to design a well-balanced metaheuristic for robustness, we propose the COSEARCH approach which manages the cooperation of complementary heuristic methods via an adaptive memory which contains a history of the search already done. In this paper, we present the idiosyncrasies of the COSEARCH approach and its application for solving large scale instances of the quadratic assignment problem (QAP). We propose an original design of the adaptive memory in order to focus on high quality regions of the search and avoid attractive but deceptive areas. For the QAP, we have hybridized three heuristic agents of complementary behaviours: a Tabu Search is used as the main search algorithm, a Genetic Algorithm is in charge of the diversification and a Kick Operator is applied to intensify the search. The evaluations have been executed on large scale network of workstations via a parallel environment which supports fault tolerance and adaptive dynamic scheduling of tasks.     

一种新型频域均衡器在水声通信中的应用

在传统频域均衡器的基础上,结合多载波频移键控调制方式的频谱结构,利用接收信号和参考信号的相关性及均衡器的滤波系数,提出了一种兼具均衡与解调功能的新型频域均衡器结构.该均衡器简单、有效地克服了水声信道中多径传播产生的码间干扰和频率选择性衰落等问题,简化了水声通信系统接收机的复杂度. 新型频域均衡器的解调原理以非相关解调算法为基础,但由于利用了均衡器的计算结果,其差错性能优于传统的非相关解调算法,计算机仿真试验表明,改进后的方法使差错性能提高了2 dB;实际水声通信实验表明,该均衡器能够有效地提高水声通信系统的可靠性,具有很好的应用前景.     

Equality and inequality constrained optimization algorithms with convergent stepsizes

In this paper, we consider two algorithms for nonlinear equality and inequality constrained optimization. Both algorithms utilize stepsize strategies based on differentiable penalty functions and quadratic programming subproblems. The essential difference between the algorithms is in the stepsize strategies used. The objective function in the quadratic subproblem includes a linear term that is dependent on the penalty functions. The quadratic objective function utilizes an approximate Hessian of the Lagrangian augmented by the penalty functions. In this approximation, it is possible to ignore the second-derivative terms arising from the constraints in the penalty functions.The penalty parameter is determined using a strategy, slightly different for each algorithm, that ensures boundedness as well as a descent property. In particular, the boundedness follows as the strategy is always satisfied for finite values of the parameter.These properties are utilized to establish global convergence and the condition under which unit stepsizes are achieved. There is also a compatibility between the quadratic objective function and the stepsize strategy to ensure the consistency of the properties for unit steps and subsequent convergence rates.This research was funded by SERC and ESRC research contracts. The author is grateful to Professors Laurence Dixon and David Mayne for their comments. The numerical results in the paper were obtained using a program written by Mr. Robin Becker.     

旋转锥镜相机研测动态曲率和斜率

采用旋转锥镜相机，进行激光散斑剪切照相，研测缓慢变形物体的动态曲率和斜率。拍摄一张散斑图即可获得曲率和斜率动态变化的全过程。     

受激布里渊散射相位共轭现象的二维数值模拟

 使用P.H.Hu等人[3，4]提出的计算途径，数值解了A.Flusberg等人[2]提出的零级方程。计算了布里渊池内随位置而变化的斯托克斯光强度、泵浦光强度和保真度，得到了布里渊池内几个位置上的斯托克斯光相位和强度的横向分布，并计算了泵浦光入口处的反射率和保真度。     

六甲氧基甲基三聚氰胺-多元醇-丙烯酸酯混杂聚合体系的研究

六甲氧基甲基三聚氰胺 (HMMM) 多元醇 丙烯酸酯 酸催化剂混杂聚合体系在高温下同时进行缩聚和自由基聚合并表现出协同效应 .体系中的活泼亚甲基在HMMM的催化下被空气氧化成过氧化氢物 ;过氧化氢物在酸催化下分解成自由基进而引发自由基聚合反应 .研究结果表明 ,体系中存在固化加速的协同效应 ;同时体系中还存在热互补效应 ,丙烯酸酯的自由基聚合反应放出的热可以传递给缩聚反应 ,满足缩聚反应吸热的要求 .混杂聚合得到的高分子合金膜具有优良的机械性能和耐溶剂性能 ,这是由于在混杂聚合过程中形成了互穿聚合物网络 (IPN)结构 .使用潜酸催化剂作为酸的来源 ,可以提高体系的储存稳定性 ;交联 引发剂的使用可以拓宽它的使用范围 ;对超枝化聚合物在混杂体系中的应用也进行了初步研究     

Charge compensation dynamics in a soluble copolymer of poly(aniline) and poly(phenylene sulfide)

Poly(phenylene sulfide phenyleneamine), PPSA, is a copolymer of poly(aniline) and poly(phenylene sulfide), soluble in conventional organic solvents as tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, and cyclohexanone. In this research, its electrochemical behavior has been studied in acetonitrile in the presence of different electrolytes, where the loss of electroactivity was observed after few cycles. In this paper, the charge compensation dynamics of PPSA is analyzed through electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance experiments and electroacoustic impedance measurements. Raman spectroscopy data have shown that once the oxidation of the sulfur atom occurs, a loss of electroactivity is observed, being not possible to recover the pristine state of the polymer. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) data obtained for the fully oxidized polymer are consistent with the formation of a networked polymer due to the electrophilic attack of the positive sulfur atom on the activated aromatic rings. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance results clearly show that the degree of irreversibility fully depends on the chemical nature of the anions with a negligible participation of the cations of the electrolytic solution. This work is in memoriam of Prof. Dr. Francisco C. Nart, dearest friend and colleague, whose scientific skills and enthusiasm will always be remembered.     

六甲氧基甲基三聚氰胺-多元醇-丙烯酸酯混杂聚合过程热互补效应的研究

六甲氧基甲基三聚氰胺（HMMM）－多元醇－丙烯酸酯－酸催化剂的混合体系在较高温度下同时进行缩聚和自由基聚合并表现出协同效应，DSC研究结果表明，丙烯酸酯在HMMM和酸的催化作用下可在较低温度下发生自由基聚合反应，并把反应释放出来的大量的热量有效地传递给缩聚发反应，满足缩聚反应吸热的要求，从而节省固化所需要的能量，为了提高储存稳定性。本文以潜酸催化剂作为酸的来源，对该混杂聚合体系进行了研究，仍有明显的热互补效应。     

Excess heat capacities and orientational order in systems containing hexadecane isomers of different molecular structure

Using the Picker flow microcalorimeter, excess heat capacities have been obtained at 25°C throughout the concentration range for 2,2-dimethylbutane,n-hexane, and cyclohexane each mixed with a series of hexadecane isomers of increasing degrees of orientational order, as determined by depolarized Rayleigh scattering. The isomers are 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane, 6-, 4-, and 2-methylpentadecane, andn-hexadecane. Thec _p ^E values are negative, increasing rapidly in magnitude with increase of orientational order, and are not predicted by the Prigogine—Flory theory which neglects order. Values ofc _p ^E are obtained at 10, 25, and 55°C for cyclohexane +6-, 4-, and 2-methylpentadecane which with other literature data lead to the temperature dependence of the thermodynamic excess functions for cyclohexane solutions of the five C₁₆ isomers. The excess enthalpy and entropy vary with the C₁₆ isomer and with temperature, but the corresponding variation of the excess free energy is small, indicating a high degree of enthalpy-entropy compensation. This is consistent with a rapid decrease with temperature of orientational order in the C₁₆ isomers.     

Adaptive approach for nonlinear sensitivity analysis of reaction kinetics

We present a unified approach for linear and nonlinear sensitivity analysis for models of reaction kinetics that are stated in terms of systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The approach is based on the reformulation of the ODE problem as a density transport problem described by a Fokker-Planck equation. The resulting multidimensional partial differential equation is herein solved by extending the TRAIL algorithm originally introduced by Horenko and Weiser in the context of molecular dynamics (J. Comp. Chem. 2003, 24, 1921) and discussed it in comparison with Monte Carlo techniques. The extended TRAIL approach is fully adaptive and easily allows to study the influence of nonlinear dynamical effects. We illustrate the scheme in application to an enzyme-substrate model problem for sensitivity analysis w.r.t. to initial concentrations and parameter values.